Travel

I absolutely love to travel! The moment I got the taste of experiencing different cultures and different ways of life, I couldn’t get enough!I have been to many fun cities in the US and traveled abroad to some pretty epic places so far, and that hopefully is just the beginning of many adventures!

This summer, a few friends and I traveled to Europe, knocking off places on our bucket lists including:RomeThe Amalfi CoastAmersterdamSwitzerland

Check out my Europe recap and travel guide below!!

The travel bug bit me, and it bit me hard.

– Me

EUROPE TRIP 2019

Hi friends!! I had the best time traveling Europe and am already itching to get back! In my travel guide, I am going to go through where we stayed, what we ate & what we saw!For outfit info, head to the “Shop My Looks” tab of the blog.I hope this helps and provides some inspiration for anyone wanting to travel to any of the below places. I always suggest saying YES to any new adventures, because trust me, you will NOT regret it!!

Amalfi Coast, Italy

Y’all, the Amalfi Coast is even more beautiful than I would have ever imagined!! Even though it is a 4 hour trek from Rome, I would highly recommend making it out here!TRANSPORTATION We flew into Rome and took a private car to the Amalfi. You basically email info@romeairporter.com & request pricing info for a private pickup from the Rome Airport to your Amalfi Hotel, they will send you a voucher & you pay the driver in euros. We chose this because it was cheaper for 4 people and took less time than the train and taxi.Please note: the ride to the Amalfi coast is a bumpy and curvy one, so if you get motion sickness, take Dramamine!

HOTEL INFO:We stayed at the cutest B&B in town called Villa Fabiana. It was one of our smaller rooms but just perfect for us as we were hardly in the room. The owner prepares breakfast in the courtyard each morning with the yummiest croissants. They were very sweet and carried our bags, etc.

DAY 1:The first day we went to the beach (rent umbrellas/chairs by the water). We shopped around in town square and bought souvenirs, wine and limoncello! This was our BEST food day!!Lunch:We had pizza & aperol spritzes at Ristorante Lo Smeraldino. This was hands down some of our favorite pizza in Amalfi. It was SO SO good and the waiters were so nice!Dinner:Trattoria Dei Cartari has hands down the best gnocchi we had all trip. We were stuffed but continued to clear our plates clean.

DAY 2:Boat:We had a boat day where we hopped on a small boat from Sorrento to Capri. Click here for the link to the exact tour we booked.The crew on this boat was amazing. They showed us all of the sights such as the grottos, the Farglioni Rocks and various areas across the coast. They gave us snacks, drinks & limoncello while giving us the history of everything we passed. We were able to see the grotto’s and jump off the boat for some swim/snorkel time!Note: the bus ride from Amalfi to Sorrento is a curvy trip that takes 1 1/2 hours to 2 hours.While in Capri, make sure to try a limoncello spritz. They are so refreshing and help beat the heat!Lunch:We had lunch at Lo Zodiaco in Capri. I had the best and biggest calzone. It was amazing! My friends enjoyed the seafood pasta with handmade noodles and loved it as well. We all tried this fruity gin drink that the waiter convinced us to get. It was so so yummy, but holy moly was it strong! We were definitely feeling ourselves after lunch!Dinner:Once back in Amalfi, we had dinner at Marina Grande which is a Michelin Star restaurant. The view was AMAZING and the food was good but to be honest, a little too fancy and funky for our taste.Dessert:Being in Italy, I had to try some gelato! I snagged the tastiest salted caramel gelato from Pasticceria Savoia right off of Piazza Flavio Gioia. My friends tried the Stracciatella and chocolate flavors which were great as well!

DAY 3:Our final day in the Amalfi Coast we hung out at the beach club all day, soaking up the sun & swimming in the cool water of the coast.Be sure to walk out on the pier for the best pics of Amafi!We ate lunch at the beach club just ordering a margarita pizza.Shopping:One of the coolest things I purchased on this trip were handmade sandals, made to fit my foot. We stopped at Amalfi by Stefanie where we were able to pick a design and then they measured our feet and made the sandal in front of us. This was also one of the best priced shops we found with the cutest owner!Dinner:We ate dinner in the town square outside at Bistro f.lli Pansa. The drinks were great, ordering (of course) limoncello spritzes. The food was good but not the best Italian we had. It was more about the vibe of being outside in the middle of everything to us!Late Night:After dinner we took a taxi over to Club Africana for some fun! The taxi was 70 euro for 4 people so prepare for that & cover to get in was 25 euro per person (1 drink included), so not a cheap night!The Club is located on the water within a cave. It was so much fun filled with fire dancing & showgirls dancing with big feather headdresses on. Note: Be careful because they give you a card that all of your drinks are put on, then you pay in order to get a ticket to leave at the end of the night, so if you aren’t careful, it can add up!

Rome, Italy

HOTEL INFO:We stayed at Trevi Collection Hotel. We really loved this hotel! It had air conditioning (hallelujah), a 24 hour receptionist and felt extremely safe!We were less than a 10 minute walk to the Trevi Fountain & Spanish Steps and about a 20-25 minute walk to the Colosseum, Pantheon, etc.

Tip: Bring a refillable water bottle with you. All of the public water fountains across the city have clean, cold water that everyone fills their bottles with. Trust me!! I have a sensitive stomach & none of us had bad reactions to it, so it is safe to drink!Also bring a fan if you go during the summer because boy oh boy was it stinking hot!

Day 1: Our first day in Rome just explored as we didn’t get in town until late afternoon. We headed over to the Spanish Steps which was very crowded but cool to see!We walked around and shopped at the small shops near the Trevi Fountain and tried to cool off in any A/C we could find!We ended the night walking over to Piazza del Popolo which was beautiful with lots of people and street performers!Dinner:We had dinner at Ritorno al Passato. This was my FAVORITE MEAL in Italy. We started off with the bruschetta which was so fresh and delicious. I had a pasta with mushroom, sausage and white cream sauce and if I could eat this everyday for the rest of my life, I WOULD. My friends had the gnocchi and said it was amazing as well!

Day 2: We took today to see the sites! We started with a self guided tour of the Colosseum. We purchased tickets here.This was great because you skip the line and have restricted access to the arena floor where the gladiators entered the arena. This ticket also gave us access to the Roman Forum & Palatine Hill.After lunch we headed over to Hercules Temple and the Mouth of Truth. (We snagged a pic from the outside but skipped waiting in line for a close up).Lunch:We had lunch at Scholar’s Lounge Irish Pub for the sole fact there was free ice water and A/C. We ate tacos, quesadillas & french fries.Dinner:We skipped dinner and had early Aperitivo’s with friends!After Dinner:We walked around the Trastevere area and stopped at a local bar called Jonathan’s Angels. It had all sorts of wild cocktails on the menu that were enticing, but in true fashion of our group, we ordered wine!After this we had a reservation at Hotel de la Minerve to relax on their rooftop with drinks. I ordered a prosecco drink while my friends enjoyed mojitos. All of the drinks were great but the view was even better! We had views directly over The Pantheon, the Rome skyline and St. Peter’s Basilica.After enjoying the view, we headed to the “American bar”, The Drunken ship, complete with american flags, beer pong and rap music.

Day 3: We walked around the city today, explored and did lots of shopping! We trekked over to The Bridge of Angels and towards the Vatican. (Most of us had already toured the Vatican, so we did not do it again, however I highly suggest if you haven’t been).Lunch:We snagged some pizza while walking around.Make sure to stop by the Magnum Pleasure Store. *Note this is actually an ice cream store!!Here you can make your own Magnum ice cream bar from scratch with which chocolate you dip it in, all the toppings and chocolate drizzle.Dinner:il Chianti was another one of our favorite restaurants in Rome! The food was amazing! I ate the gnocchi (YESSS), while friends had the carbonara and truffle ravioli. They were all incredible. We also had the house white wine & the Buffalo mozzarella which were top notch as well! BONUS: they had A/C!!After Dinner:We enjoyed gelato from one of the many Gelaterias around and enjoyed the street performers and street artists around the Trevi Fountain area.

Amsterdam, Netherlands

HOTEL INFO:This was my first hostel experience & it was pretty great! We stayed at Stayokay Amsterdam VondelPark. Immediately when you walk into the lobby, it has such a cool, fun vibe. We had 5 people in Amsterdam, so we booked the 6 person private room. It was bunk-beds with 1 bathroom. Note: You either have to bring your own towels, or purchase them for 4.50 euro from the front desk.

Day 1: We started our trip off with a visit to The Heineken Experience. This was WAY more fun than any of us anticipated. It is a full blown history tour of the brewery as well as an interactive “ride” and 2 tastings in the taproom at the end. We purchased the tickets at the door and did not have to wait to enter. They were 21 euro each. (18 if you book online)Lunch:We had an awesome lunch at Happyhappyjoyjoy. All of the food was delicious but do note that the menu says the portions are small and one person can order 3-4 menu items. This is not the case, we ordered wayyy too much food as the rice, noodle and dumplings could easily be split between 2-3 people. But looking back I have no regrets because the food was just THAT good.After Dinner:We ended up skipping dinner since we were so full from our late lunch, but we did grab some of the famous Dutch Fries while wondering around town at night. I had the fries topped with the suggested cheese sauce and spicy mayo and man oh man were they great! 10/10 I highly recommend! My friends tried them with the regular mayo (which is a lot different than american mayo) and it was great as well!

Day 2: Today, our main attraction was our Canal Boat Tour. (See below for details on this)Then we parked for a few hours in one of the popular town squares and enjoyed mojitos and aperol spritzes while playing card games and laughing our butts off!Lunch:We grabbed a chicken sandwich from a cafe next to the boat pickup location. Dinner:We had sushi at Sumo and it was really good! The place was packed and the service was slow but overall good food!

Boat Tour:We booked our boat tour directly through the company site.https://www.thosedamboatguys.com/ The company we went with was Those Dam Boat Guys and I will give them a 10/10. Our boat was open (not covered), so we enjoyed the fresh air as we cruised through the canals of Amsterdam. Our guide was witty and provided fun facts throughout our time together. We brought snacks and a few bottles of wine with us on the tour and had the best time!

Day 3: It was a rainy day in Amsterdam, but we got up early to head to the Anne Frank House. (Tickets here)We booked an early time to avoid lines, and thank goodness because it gets packed! It was a really cool experience, and I highly recommend putting this on the agenda.Tickets were 11 euro per person.After, we took the rest of the day to eat local fare and explore the city.Breakfast:Grabbed a croissant and coffee from the local Starbucks on the way to Anne Frank House.Lunch/Dinner:We had an early dinner at The Pancake Bakery. YOU NEED TO GO HERE. (Menu)We split some of the pancakes between the 5 of us because they are massive! We tried a savory one, The Canadian, which surprisingly was amazing. THEN, we ordered the Dutch, which holy moly this was one the best pancakes I have ever eaten. Just read the description: Pancake with stroopwafel chunks, cinnamon ice cream, chocolate flakes and whipped cream. YES, YES & YES.

Interlaken, Switzerland

HOTEL INFO:Location, location, location! This hotel sits right between 2 canals and has the most beautiful views from your balcony. The room was the biggest room we had the entire trip and the beds were extremely comfortable. The only downside we had was there was no A/C, but it was okay because we kept all of the windows open and there were standalone fans we used to keep cool at night.Name: Hotel Central Continental

Day 1: We landed in Zurich, rented a car at the airport and drove over to Gelmersee/Grimselwelt area to ride the steepest & tallest funicular in Switzerland, The Gelmer Funicular. Pro tip: Purchase your tickets & time slot ahead of time. We did not but lucked out as there were 4 spots open for a later time.This was so so cool!! We rode front row and it was terrifyingly awesome. Once at the top, you can hike and explore, but most importantly there is a beautiful lake and views that are very picturesque and blew my mind to see in person.After the Gelmer funicular and hiking around, we drove over to Interlaken to check in to our hotel and explore the town.Breakfast:After landing early in Zurich, we picked up the rental car and grabbed coffee & breakfast at McDonalds.I NEVER have spent so much money at a McDonalds. A coffee and double cheeseburger cost me over $16!! I was shocked but at this point it was our only option, so I handed over the cash and we hit the road.Lunch/Dinner:After arriving in Interlaken, we grabbed a late lunch/dinner at Husi Bierhaus. We ordered burgers, chicken sandwiches & tried the chicken schnitzel. We also gave some of the local beers a try and they were so good! The waiters and staff here were very attentive and fun as well.

Day 2: Today is the day I conquered my fears. I jumped off the side of a mountain and relied on wind to carry me through the air. I finally did it. I went paragliding and man was it beautiful.Breakfast:Had the hotel breakfast which was interesting.Lunch:Arcobaleno is where we had celebratory pizza after paragliding. The four cheese pizza was so so good and very cheesy.

We also stopped by Funky Chocolate to buy some Swiss chocolate to take home as well as snack on some chocolate covered strawberries which make my mouth water even thinking about them now!Snacks/Drinks:To continue the celebration that we faced our fears, we picked up some champagne and sat behind the hotel at the biergarden tables by the water and chatted. The views are just incredible.Dinner:The most fun dinner we had all trip was tonight at Bebbi’s.The owner, Bebbi, parades around with flags, dancing with all the tables and even plays the matterhorn. We had an absolute blast tonight, even taking pictures with Bebbi at the end!We enjoyed wine, cheese fondue, meat fondue with oil and ended with the best swiss chocolate fondue ever.

Paragliding: The company we went with, I would recommend to anyone and everyone who asks. They are Twin Paragliding Interlaken.We bought our tickets HERE. I am someone who is extremely scared of heights and was doing this to conquer my fear. But with that being said, I definitely cried beforehand, was shaking without control and had anxiety about running off the side of a mountain. This company was so great about making me feel comfortable and even throughout the flight, my “pilot” checked in, joked with me and made me have fun during something I could have easily dreaded and counted down the time until we were on the ground. During the flight, your pilot has a Go Pro and will take pictures and videos that you can purchase for 40 franc at the end.The sights were so beautiful, the flight was so much fun and this will be something I will remember and be proud of forever. DO IT!

Day 3: Sadly our last day of the trip. We hopped in the car to head towards Zurich, making a pit stop in Lucerne for lunch and to see the city.We walked across the Chapel Bridge which was beautiful and explored Old Town.Breakfast:Stopped by a local coffee shop in town to grab a cafe crema and a crossiant.Lunch:We had lunch on the water in Old Town Lucerne at a German restaurant. We all had the hot dogs and split a soft pretzel. This was my least favorite meal of the trip, but oh well! The views were still great.Dinner:After returning to Rome to prepare for our round trip flight home the next day, we were tired and wanted to shower and relax, so we ordered room service, a margherita pizza and watched the only English channel we could find on the TV.